Turning Point
by ByTheAngelIsThatWillHerondale
Summary: Clary Fray is a seventeen year old dancer hoping to get a contract with The New York City Ballet. But when she meets Jace, her best friend's brother, will she able to have the best of both worlds? Or will she have to decide between dancing or true love? AH/AU/Slightly OOC
1. Focus

**So...NEW STORY! For those of you expecting a epilogue and a sequel to my other story, ****_Our Choices Make Us Who We Are,_**** I'M SORRY THIS ISN'T IT! I PROMISE I AM WRITING ONE! I just had really bad writers block, and decided to take a short break form Infernal Devices stuff to write this. **

**I was in dance class when this idea came to me...I was like, "What if I make Clary a dancer...and Jace...and...CLACE..." And yeah. You know how these things are. They like NAG YOU ALL DAY until you finally write them! **

**If you guys want me to continue this story, then I'm going to do a Chapter Playlist (starting next chapter) like I did last time, but I'm also going to have a "Dance Terms" section where you can go if your confused by any dance terminology. If there is something that you read that you are confused about and its not in that section, FEEL FREE TO PM ME ANY QUESTIONS! I am a dancer, so I will explain it to you to the best of my abilities.**

**So without further ado, here is chapter one of Turning Point!**

_**Dance Terms:**_

**Pointe Shoes**- also known as toe shoes. Most of you probably all know what these are, but basically they're hard shoes that allow you to dance on your toes.

**Fouetté-** French: means "to whip". Basically just a type of turn; look up a video online if you want to see them.

**Fourth Position-** one of the positions of the feet (Google it if you want to know, cause I can't explain it :DD )

**Tendu**- French: means "stretched". It's when you extend and point your foot, then bring it back to your original starting position.

"And now, please welcome to the stage, number 25, Clarissa Fray."

Applause thundered in Clary's ears, but all she could hear was her heart thudding. She flexed her feet in her pointe shoes and cracked her knuckles in the final seconds before the applause faded. This had always been a nervous habit for Clary before she would perform.

"You'll be fine, Clary. You know the dance inside and out. Just have fun and smile!" she heard her best friend, Isabelle whisper.

But she knew she wasn't going to be fine. This was the dance that defined her future. Judges from the New York City Ballet were here to watch the performances and offer the top 10 dancers a contract with the company. Clary wanted this so badly it hurt. It had been her dream since she was three years old. She knew she couldn't mess this performance up or she would lose everything she had been working towards for almost 15 years.

The music started and she stepped out into the spotlight. She plastered a smile on her face immediately, even though the last thing she wanted to do was smile. She wanted to throw up.

Usually, during performances Clary would try to find her family out in the audience. She always felt like it helped her put purpose into her steps if she was dancing for someone else and not just going through the motions.

Clary prepared herself for her upcoming fouetté turns by finding something to spot. She scanned the crowd frantically, but nothing stood out to her. Thinking she would just have to spot randomly (which was never good), she stepped into fourth position and wound up. But then, her green eyes met gold ones that were intently staring back at her.

She hesitated a second to long before going in to her turns which threw her off. She tilted to the side to try and regain her balance, but it was no use. She lost her spot and fell out of the turn clumsily.

She mentally swore and continued with the dance. She had blown it. They would never take her now if she couldn't even complete a set of fouetté turns. She wanted to cry. The song ended, and applause once again thudded through her ears. Clary quickly curtsied and ran off the stage. Isabelle was waiting in the wings with her.

"That was amazing, Clary! You nailed it!" Isabelle whisper-screamed.

Clary glared at her and stormed off, but Isabelle followed. "No it wasn't! I totally fell out of my fouetté turns, and then I lost my focus at the end, and-"

"Clary, stop beating yourself up. It wasn't noticeable." Isabelle paused. "What made you lose your balance?"

Clary hesitated. Should she tell Isabelle about the gold-eyed boy? "I-I was looking for something to spot, and then I saw someone towards the front staring at me. But he had the most gold eyes, and I just got distracted."

Isabelle's eyes widened. "Oh my god, I'm going to kill him," she muttered. "If you don't make it, I swear, I will beat him to a pulp!"

"Izzy, calm down! What's wrong, do you know him?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I know him! That's Jace, my brother!"

Realization dawned on Clary. She had ever met Isabelle's family, but Izzy talked enough about Jace. "Mr. Golden Boy" she called him. She said he was always cocky and narcissistic, and had about 3 girlfriends a month.

"My whole family is came to watch my performance," she said. "That's why he's here." Isabelle had already danced; she was number 10.

They had reached the dressing room, and Clary immediately started peeling off her costume. She didn't care if something ripped, she probably would never have to wear it again. She pulled her fiery red hair out of its tight bun and took her sweat pants and sweatshirt out of her bag, slipping them on over her tights and leotard.

"Well, we have about 30 more acts," Isabelle sighed. "But I did bring a card game!"

So they played cards on the floor for an hour until they announced all dancers could leave. They would contact everyone individually who was selected. Clary hated when they did it this way because it meant she had to wait overnight to hear if she made it or not. _I guess I won't be getting any sleep tonight_, she thought.

"Clary, don't worry," Isabelle reassured her as they cleaned up the cards. "Hey, why don't you and your family join us for dinner! That will get your mind off of dance for a while."

Clary attempted a weak smile. "Okay. What time?"

"Umm...well, it's four o'clock now...so how about six?"

Clary nodded. "Alright."

She sent a quick text to her mom telling her that she would meet them by the car, and then Isabelle and her went their separate ways.

When she reached the car, she was showered with hugs and praises. She didn't want it though, she knew she danced horribly.

"Clary, you were beautiful up there! You did marvelous! Absolutely wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"

"Mom," Clary sighed. "I fell out of my

turns and messed up the ending."

"Oh sweetie, stop!" her mother dismissed with a wave of her hand. "You were perfect. Now, I talked to Mrs. Lightwood, and they want to have us for dinner! Isn't that great!"

"Yeah, Isabelle told me," Clary muttered as she got in the car.

The last thing she wanted to do was celebrate.

.0.0.0

As they pulled up in the driveway, Clary gaped. She had never been to the Lightwood's home, but now she could tell why Isabelle never worried about money and always insisted on buying her coffee at Starbucks in the morning.

Clary and her mother walked to the front door and she rang the doorbell. Almost immediately it flew open.

"Hi! You're here!" Isabelle squealed and hugged Clary tightly.

"Yeah," Clary mumbled into Isabelle's shoulder.

"Well, come in!" Isabelle released Clary and led her and her mother through the house to the kitchen. "Mom, they're here!" Isabelle yelled.

"Down in a minute!" came a faraway muffled response.

"You can sit down anyway; dinner will be ready in a couple minutes."

Clary's mother smiled. "Thanks so much for having us."

"No problem," Isabelle smiled back. "Alec, Jace, dinner's ready!"

Clary's heart sped up. Of course he would be here! She wondered if he would recognize her. _Probably not_, she thought.

There was an audible thumping on the stairs and a black haired boy came into view. He looked exactly like Isabelle, but with short hair. She assumed this was Alec because she knew what Jace looked like.

But she was nowhere near prepared when he walked in the kitchen. His whole demeanor radiated confidence, but way too much of it. It wasn't just his eyes that were gold. His hair, his skin...

Clary looked away before she got too lost in his appearance, but not before she saw him flash her a crooked grin. _So that's how it is_, she thought. _Just like Izzy described._

Dinner was eaten comfortably; Maryse and Jocelyn talking, asking questions. Clary didn't eat much; not because she didn't like the food, but because she was constantly watching her weight for dance. Isabelle, on the other hand, ate whatever she wanted whenever she wanted and never seemed to gain a pound. It wasn't fair how some people were like that.

Clary excused herself to go to the bathroom, but passed something on the way that made her stop. It was Isabelle's "private" dance studio, where she practiced at home. Clary slowly opened the door and walked in knowing that Izzy wouldn't mind. It had a stereo system in one corner of the room, and a full length mirror across the wall; giving the allusion that the studio was bigger than it actually was. A pair of pointe shoes and one of Izzy's many dance bags was strewn across the floor.

Clary slowly walked towards the center of the room and took her sneakers off so she could dance in her socks. She pulled her hair back off her face and did a few tendu's to warm up her feet. Then, she found herself winding up to do a fouetté turn. She didn't know why she was so upset with herself for messing that up in the dance. Maybe it was because she had mastered them at age 14, or that she didn't understand how she could let herself get so distracted by just a glimpse of a boy. Now she knew why her parents wouldn't let her date.

"Is that what you messed up in your dance?" came a voice form the door. Although Clary didn't fall out of her turns this time, the voice did startle her. She turned around to see Jace casually leaning against the door frame, grinning.

"Yeah," she breathed.

His grin spread wider. "Is that because you looked at me?"

_Oh God. Seriously? _"No," she lied.

"Sure. I saw you look at me and stumble. It's alright, I understand. Most girls have the same reaction when they first see me."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Don't get too full of yourself."

"I'll try." He paused. "What are you doing in here anyway? I thought you were going to the bathroom."

"Yeah, well, can't pass up an opportunity to practice."

"Seriously?"

"What?"

"You're worse than Isabelle."

"I doubt that."

"No, really," Jace said. "Whenever she's not at dance, she's in here. But after 6 pm, she's done. You're still dancing at," he checked the clock on the wall, "7:15, after you just did a performance. Do you ever stop dancing?"

"Not really," she sighed. "Even when I'm lying in bed at night, I always run through my latest routine to keep it fresh in my head."

"Wow. Do you have any friends besides Isabelle? Any social life?"

"Yes," Clary defended. "But my parents won't let me date."

"Are you kidding me?" Jace looked incredulous. "For someone as pretty as you, you've never dated…anyone?"

_Did he just call me pretty? PRETTY? "_Uh, no," she said, blushing.

"You've never kissed anyone?"

_Wow, this is awkward. _"Um, no, not really," she said, her cheeks turning redder.

"Well, that will have to change," he said smirking, turning away from her and walking out with one last glance over his shoulder.

**SO? What did you think? Good? Bad? "STOP RIGHT NOW THIS STORY SUCKS! I HAVE NO INTEREST IN DANCING/BALLET AT ALL!"? :DD**

**LET ME KNOW IF I SHOULD CONTINUE!**

**And if you're wondering, Clary is beating up on herself for no reason. LIKE SERIOUSLY, Fouette turns are REALLY hard. I've been dancing for a ****_long_****time (almost 11 years) and I can't even do ****_one_****. So yeah. Just clearing that up :DDD**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**XOXO, ByTheAngelIsThatWillHerondal e**


	2. Good Intentions

**Hey everyone! Here's Chapter two! Thanks for all of your amazing reviews, favorites and alerts!**

**Also, I haven't edited this chapter, so I apologize for any mistakes!**

_**Chapter Playlist:**_

**Daydream- Christina Perri**

**_Dance Terms:_**

**Turnout****- outward rotation of the hips and the feet **

**"Marking"****-when you don't go through the full steps, just move your arms and legs to the music (it's a way of practicing. I can't really explain it, Google it if you still don't understand)**

**NYCB****- Abbreviation for the New York City Ballet**

* * *

"And one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, Clarissa, turn out!"

Clary cringed at her teacher's yelling and adjusted her feet. She was not focused today. Her mind kept drifting to other places, as much as she tried to redirect it. Certain other things. Like when a certain boy called her pretty. Maybe she was reading into it too much. But no one had called her pretty. Ever.

"Stop, stop!" her teacher shouted. Everyone stopped dancing and turned their attention to Miss Morgenstern.

"Isabelle, you're too stiff, loosen up. Clarissa, what is going on today? Your turnout is horrendous and you're not concentrating on technique."

"I'm sorry Miss Morgenstern, I was-"

"I don't want to hear excuses. Class dismissed."

Clary sighed and walked out of the studio. She peeled off her ballet shoes and threw them in her bag.

"See ya tomorrow, Clary! I'll text you," Isabelle called as she walked through the double doors leading out to the street.

"Okay," Clary yelled back. She slung her huge duffel bag over her left shoulder and pulled out her phone. She sent a quick text to her mom telling her that class was over. Even though she was old enough to get her license, her parents wouldn't let her because of the risk of getting injured in an accident.

As she waited on the curb for her mom to pick her up, a black Honda Civic pulled up and honked. She got up hesitantly, wondering who it was. But as she peered into the car, her heart stopped.

Jace.

Why did he have to be here? _Mom, save me!_ She prayed. But then her started to roll down the window, and she knew it was too late.

"Hey, do you know where Izzy is?"

"Um, yeah," Clary said. "She just left."

Jace slammed his fist on the steering wheel. "Are you kidding me?! I try for once to do something nice for her, and this is how she repays me? By ditching me? How is she getting home now?"

"She said Alec was picking her up."

Jace swore, then turned to Clary. His eyes raked up and down her body, and she suddenly felt self-conscious. She crossed her arms in front of her in an attempt to cover up.

"Aren't you cold? It's like, February, and you just have a tank top on." He asked.

Clary shrugged. "Not really. I'm kinda sweaty from dancing for five hours."

Jace beckoned with his head. "Get in."

Clary frowned, but she felt her hands turn cold and sweaty. "I'm _not_ getting in the car with a stranger. Plus, my mom should be here any minute."

All the sudden, her phone buzzed. She opened the text and sighed. _Hey sweetie, I'm stuck in traffic. Be there in 10! _

Jace noticed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, covering her phone.

"Come on, you can tell me, I'm not a total stranger," Jace said.

"My mom just said she would be late," Clary said. "It's fine, I don't mind waiting."

"No, you're not going to stay out here and freeze to death. Come on, I'll take you home."

Clary hesitated. "Fine," she agreed as she rolled her eyes, but she was internally freaking out. _What if I say something stupid? What if we get in a car crash? What if I die with him? _Okay, she was exaggerating, but she couldn't help but be nervous around him.

Clary slowly opened the passenger door and climbed in the front seat, giving Jace her address. She texted her mom back saying she had gotten a ride home, then leaned back in her seat.

There was sudden silence as Jace drove through the busy streets of New York City. Classical music was playing softly on the radio, and Clary smiled.

"You listen to this?" she asked.

Jace glanced at her before staring at the road again. "Yeah, I play piano."

"Oh," was all she suddenly felt stupid for asking.

Clary listened to the song more closely. "Hey, I danced to this song. Regional competitions last March." She turned it up, and her dance routine came rushing back to her.

"Did you win?" Jace asked.

"No," Clary said sheepishly. "Came in second."

All the sudden, she saw Jace smirk out of the corner of her eye. "What?" she demanded.

"Nothing, it's just funny to watch you dance while you're sitting down." She looked down as she realized she was marking her routine with her arms and feet.

She blushed and dropped her hands into her lap awkwardly.

"Is this your street?" He asked.

"Yeah, third house on the left."

He pulled into her driveway and put the car in park. Clary hurriedly gathered up her duffel bag and unbuckled her seat belt, getting out as fast as possible.

"Hey, do you want to go out on Saturday night?"

She froze. "What? Like-like on…on a date?" She asked stupidly.

Jace grinned. "You could call it that."

Clary's eyes widened as she stuttered, "I-I can't. I have dance."

"That's one of the lamest excuses ever. Come on, can't you say you're sick?"

"I always go to practice, even when I'm sick," Clary explained. "Plus, my parents wouldn't let me," she said as she climbed out of the car.

"Great. I'll pick you up at 7:00." Jace's grin grew wider as he pulled out of the driveway.

Clary sighed and walked up the stairs to her house. As tempting as it sounded, she was _not_ going on that date. She pulled out her house key, and turned to unlock the door when it suddenly opened.

Clary tripped forward. "Oh, Mom! Hi."

"Hey Sweetheart." She kissed Clary on the cheek, then narrowed her eyes. "Who was that boy I saw driving you home?"

"Oh, uh," Clary started to explain. "He's Isabelle's brother, you know, was coming to pick Isabelle up, but she had already gone home with Alec. So he offered to take me home since you were stuck in traffic."

Her mother raised and eyebrow, like she didn't believe Clary. "Alright, but honey, I hope there's nothing going on between the two of you. You don't need a boyfriend to distract you from dance."

"Mom! He's not my boyfriend. I barely even know him."

"I know, I know," her mom changed the subject. "Anyway, guess who we heard from today!"

Clary's eyes widened. "NYCB?"

"Yes! They called and said that you didn't make the top 10 unfortunately, but they're putting you on their wait list so if someone turns down the contract, you'll be the first to be notified."

Clary's smile dropped. "Oh, that's good."

"Honey, aren't you excited?"

"Yeah," she lied. "Totally." But she knew that no one would ever turn down a contract with NYCB.

She was going to kill Jace for distracting her.

**SO...Clary's got a date with Jace...but she's not going... D: **

**Anyway, REVIEW! I want to know what you think of this chapter! Should I keep writing?**

**XOXO, ByTheAngelIsThatWillHerondal e**


	3. Time

**So since everyone wants me to continue...ONWARDS! ****_THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! LOVE YA!_**

**No Chapter Playlist...may add one for this chapter later though...**

**Dance Terms:**

**(These steps are more visual, so if you want to see them, I would suggest watching videos of them)**

**Sissonne (SEE-SOHN)-a jump done from two feet to one foot.**

**Pas de Chat (PAH-de-SHAH)- French: means "Step of the Cat". The dancer jumps sideways, and while in mid-air, bends both legs up bringing the feet up as high as possible, with knees apart. **

**Assemblé (AH-SAHM-BLAY)- French: means "assembled". A jump which is launched from one foot and landed on both feet.**

**Arabesque (AIR-AH-BESK)-the position of the body supported on one leg, with the other leg extended behind the body with the knee straight.**

* * *

Clary was just finishing up her last math problem on her homework before she had to eat dinner ad go to dance. She flipped her binder closed and flopped on her bed, checking her new messages on her phone. Two from Isabelle, and one from a number she didn't recognize. She opened it hesitantly.  
_Are you excited for Saturday night?  
_Jace. Great. How did he get her number? Was he some sort of a stalker now?  
She replied: _How'd you get my number? And no, I'm not excited BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING.  
_She leaned back on her pillows and sighed. She wanted to go with Jace so badly. But she had to draw the line now. He had already distracted her from dance. And they hadn't even known each other for that long.  
Her phone buzzed in her hand. She opened it and read: _I wouldn't be so sure about that, Clary. And I got your number from Isabelle's phone. She really shouldn't leave it out on the table so much.  
_Ugh! He was going to be the death of her.  
She responded quickly: _Whatever. I g2g. Dinner then dance.  
_Her mom called her from downstairs the same time as her phone vibrated again.  
_See ya later, twinkle toes._  
What was she going to do?  
.0.0.0  
It was Saturday night, and Clary was daydreaming her way through dance class. She looked at the clock. 7:15. Dance didn't end until 7:45. Her heart longed to be with Jace right now instead if drilling her latest combination. She loved dancing, but Miss Morgenstern did not always make it fun.  
"Sissonne, sissonne, pas de chat, pas de chat, assemblé, assemblé, step, arabesque..." Miss Morgenstern droned on. Clary forced her feet to follow orders, but she wasn't dancing like she normally did.  
"Alright class, I expect you to be here bright and early tomorrow morning. 6:30 sharp. No excuses, girls."  
They all nodded and exited the studio.  
Clary walked out of the building with her eyes glued to her phone. When she finally looked up, she saw a black car parked at the curb. She did a double-take. Was that Jace's car?  
She slowly approached it, clutching her phone nervously.  
Jace looked up from his book-why was he reading? and grinned at Clary, rolling down the window.  
"Jace?"  
"The one and only."  
"What are you doing here?"  
"Have you forgotten my promise? I said I would pick you up at 7:00, and here I am. Although you _are _about 50 minutes late. "  
"What..." Clary trailed off. "You know I never agreed to this. Plus," she motioned to her leotard and tights, "I'm in my dance clothes. Not dressed to go to a fancy restaurant."  
"I'm not taking you to a 'fancy restaurant'. But I did steal some clothes from Izzy's room. Here," he tossed her a bag, "Go change."  
"I-"  
"Please? Just this once?" he faked an innocent expression.  
Clary shook her head and turned around. "I can't believe I'm doing this."  
She walked back in the building and hurried to the bathrooms. Picking a stall at random and locking the door, she stripped from her sweaty leotard and pulled out the clothes from the bag. Not bad, she thought. He picked out a pair of dark wash jeans and a mint cardigan. It actually somewhat fell into Clary's style. She couldn't see Isabelle wearing it.  
Stuffing her old clothes in her duffel, she ran back out to the curb. Jace had resumed reading his book, but when he saw her he started the car.  
She sat down in the passenger seat and sighed. "I still can't believe I'm doing this. My parents are going to kill me," she muttered.  
"Oh, don't worry, it'll be worth it."  
"It better be."  
.0.0  
"So, did you make it in that competition thing?" Jace asked Clary while picking at his French Fries. He had taken her to Taki's, an informal restaurant in Brooklyn.  
Clary glared. "No, I got wait-listed, thanks to you."  
"Hey, I can't help that I was born stunningly attractive."  
Clary scoffed, but kept eating.  
"Hey, you know, you should be proud of yourself. Izzy didn't even get wait-listed."  
"Yeah, because getting wait-listed shows you're a stellar dancer," Clary said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
"Yes, it does," Jace argued.  
"Whatever. I'm not happy about it. And even if I do get in, I'll always know that it was because someone dropped out, not because I performed well."  
"Well, I think you performed great." Jace said, his face serious.  
Clary laughed. "You're almost as bad as my mother."  
Jace smiled at her. "How so?"  
"You know, the things that mothers say. 'You did great, sweetheart!' 'You're beautiful, don't listen to them. They're just jealous.' Ugh, it's nauseating."  
"Your mother's right, you know. You are beautiful."  
There was silence. Clary looked up through her lashes. "If you're trying to sweet-talk me, it's not working."  
"And what if I wasn't?"  
Clary rolled her eyes, then noticed the clock on the back wall. "Oh my gosh, it's 8:30. I have to go! My mom doesn't even know where I am."  
Jace got up from his seat and threw a couple of bills on the table. She rushed out to the car, impatient to get home. Jace joined her a couple seconds later.  
"Clary, I wasn't joking earlier, you know."  
Clary's breath caught and all the sudden Jace was leaning forward. But she couldn't, as much as she wanted to. It would distract her from dance, and she made a promise to her parents.  
She turned her head away at the last second, shying away from his lips.  
He tried to cover up by fiddling with the radio, but Clary knew what he had been about to do. He was about to kiss her. She wanted to apologize, to explain that being in a relationship would distract her from dance, but no words would come. Instead, she just sat awkwardly stiff in her seat the whole ride home, thinking of an excuse to tell her mother when she got home.  
As he pulled up in her driveway, she attempted to speak. "Look, Jace-"  
"I get it. You'd rather be committed to dance than to me."  
"No, I-"  
"It's fine. I understand-"  
"JACE!" she yelled, probably a little too loudly. "Just listen to me for two seconds!" He stopped, and leaned back in his seat. "I-I don't know how to say this, but- I like you. I really do. But, I-I really don't know what the heck I'm doing. I've never been in a relationship with any guy before, and...and, my parents would have my head. My mom already thinks were dating, and I have to keep telling her were not. I just...I know it's a lame excuse, but-" she sighed. "I don't know, I guess I just need time to think." she turned to Jace to gauge his reaction. He looked...calculating.  
Finally, he spoke. "Then, I'll give you time," he said, "If that's what it takes."  
She smiled. "Thanks for everything, Jace," she said quietly. "I had a good time."  
He smiled back. "Me too."  
She exited the car and prepared to face her parents. This was going to be a long night.

**AWWW ALMOST CLACE! If you review...maybe you'll get some actual fluff in the next chapter... :DDD**


	4. Sad Song

**Here's chapter 4! Sorry for the wait :D Busy weekend.**

**Chapter Playlist:**

**Sad Song- Christina Perri (I love her soooo much that why her songs are always on my playlists. But anyway, this is the song that I intended Clary to dance to for her lyrical piece. Listen to it and you'll see why :DDD)**

**No dance terms...lyrical doesn't really have technical terms...**

The next few weeks were awkward and uncomfortable between Jace and Clary. They didn't really talk, but on occasion, he would pick up Isabelle from class. They would make eye contact through the glass for a fleeting moment, and then he was always the one to look away. Clary wished it wasn't this way; she never thought he would be so hurt, or angry. But she couldn't allow herself to think of that, not with a huge competition coming up. Her teacher had picked a lyrical dance for her, instead of ballet. Lyrical wasn't really her strong suit, so she couldn't afford anymore distractions when it came to Jace. Plus, she still had schoolwork on top of dancing. Her teachers were still piling on tests, even after midterms were over.  
The night that she had come home late from dinner with Jace had been one Clary would like to have forgotten. On top of the uncomfortable talk in the car, her parents pretty much chopped off her head. She was grounded for a week; for her not letting them know where she was, as much as she tried to lie her way through the whole situation.  
"Clary?" A voice cut through her thoughts, and brought her back to reality. She was sleeping over at Izzy's house. "Are you alright? You look-"  
"I'm fine, Izzy," Clary snapped. On hearing her tone of voice, she apologized. "Sorry, it's just, I'm really stressed about this lyrical dance. Miss Morgenstern is making me do my own choreography, and I guess I'm just overwhelmed."  
Isabelle smiled. "I love lyrical! Do you want me to help you? We could practice right now in the studio downstairs."  
Clary smiled. "That would be great," she said.  
They headed downstairs to Izzy's studio and Clary flicked on the lights. She and Isabelle both started stretching before they started.  
"Well, first," Isabelle said, "We should pick a song. Do you know what you want to do?"  
Clary shook her head. Isabelle grinned and fished her iPod out of her back pocket, handing it to Clary.  
She scrolled through all the songs until she found on she had always loved. Smiling, she plugged the iPod into the dock and pressed play. Isabelle smiled too, and they began to plan out the dance.  
An hour later, they were panting and out of breath. Clary put her hands on her knees and sighed, "I'm gonna do it one more time, just by myself to make sure I have it."  
"Okay," Izzy gave a small smile and walked to the small stand where her dock was. "I'll get the music, and I'll tell you if you need to fix anything."  
The music started, and Clary felt herself come alive in the dance. She was thrilled about how it turned out. It conveyed everything she was feeling right now; confusion and sadness and embarrassment. But she loved it; she felt like it was hers and not something just choreographed by a teacher.  
The song ended, and Clary looked up, only to see a flash of gold turning away from the doorframe. She closed her eyes. How much of that did he see? Part of her wanted to keep this dance private, but the other half wanted to show it to the world, just to tell everyone what she was feeling.  
"Your totally gonna win. I would bet all my money on you." Isabelle gave her a reassuring grin. "But fix your feet at the end." She gestured with her hands at Clary's feet.  
Clary laughed. "Thanks, Iz."  
"No problem. You know you love me," Isabelle said in a sing-song voice.  
Clary laughed again. "I think I'd love you more if you let me take a cold shower in your bathroom. I feel disgusting."  
"Of course. Right this way."  
They headed back upstairs, and Clary hosed off and changed into her pajamas. Isabelle turned off the light, but Clary didn't fall asleep for a long time after that. Finally, she let darkness overwhelm her, a thousand unanswered questions still buzzing in her head.

The next weekend was Clary's competition. Isabelle was competing too, but seeing as Isabelle helped choreograph Clary's dance, they weren't looking to beat each other. Isabelle came to Clary's house three hours before the competition so they could get ready together. Isabelle always insisted on doing Clary's makeup and hair, claiming that the judges "loved her style". Her costume was an emerald green, bringing out her eyes and accenting her red hair. The material was long and flowing so that when she moved, it trailed behind her. A trail of gold sequins adorned the bodice of the dress. Isabelle pinned her hair in a twist with a gold clip.

Clary's mother drove them both to the competition; although Isabelle told Clary that her whole family was coming to the show. She knew what that meant. Jace. But she was sort of happy because she picked the song based on how she was feeling. She hoped that he got what she was trying to say. They had to be there an hour before it started to check in and practice a couple times. Clary ran through her dance once and, feeling confident that she knew it, let Isabelle rehearse the rest of the time.

When they were called backstage, Clary did her usual routine of cracking her knuckles and flexing her feet. She wasn't as nervous this time; more excited. Adrenaline was coursing through her when they announced her act.

The music started and Clary stepped onto the stage. Lyrical was all about freedom and expressing yourself through your movements. Sometimes, after a lot of technical ballet numbers, a lyrical routine was just what she needed to let herself go again.

Her eyes met gold ones again, but this time she wasn't thrown off balance. If anything, she danced with more passion, knowing he was there watching her. The song ended and she had to remind herself to get off the stage. Her feet carried her to the wings again where she ran into Izzy's arms.

"Oh. My. God! Clary! That was amazing! That was literally the best you've EVER danced! What has gotten into you?" Isabelle was jumping up and down, and had to be shushed by a staff member that was backstage.

"I don't know," Clary admitted. "I just felt….free. It was weird."

"Well, you totally rocked it. Now how am I supposed to do better than you?"

Clary smiled and shook her head, laughing.

Deep down, she knew why she danced so well. It was because of one thing, one person. But she would never, ever admit that to Isabelle. Not in a million years.

**Good? Bad? Let me know in a review!**


	5. Control

**I don't really have any excuses for not updating other than I've been really busy and I haven't really felt like writing. But I'm back now. Sorry for the wait. Forgive me? ;)**

**Happy February everyone! :DDD**

* * *

Clary stood as still as a statue, waiting for the awards to be announced. She wished they would just rip the band-aid off already; she wanted to know if she won or lost. But then again, didn't everyone?  
"And in third place, we have act number thirty-five, Isabelle Lightwood!"  
She saw Isabelle push her way through the crowd, beaming. Clary clapped wildly, happy that at least Izzy had placed.  
"In second place, we have act number fifteen, Aline Penhallow!" Clary rolled her eyes. Aline was from her studio and was one of those girls who always went out of her way to try to be better than Clary. She could only hope that she got first. That would shut up Aline for at at least a few days.  
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, our first place winner, number seventeen, Clarissa Fray!"  
Clary's heart stopped. She _won_? With a lyrical number? She stood frozen in shock before her brain told her feet to move to collect her trophy. She smiled at the announcer who handed her a medal and gleaming gold trophy and she waved to the audience. Cheers and hollers went up around her, and her heart swelled with pride. Then, she realized something.  
This was her first time winning first place. For so long, she had always been the runner-up, but she had never minded. She would always tell herself that second was good, she should be proud of herself. But if getting second felt good, then getting first felt like she was going to burst into tears of joy.  
The applause died down and the dancers shuffled off the stage.

Clary navigated through the hallways of the school the competition was being held at until she came to her dressing room. Shouldering open the door, she checked her phone for any new messages. One, from someone she didn't expect. Jace.  
She felt her heart speed up as she pressed 'view now' on her phone.  
Two words.  
_I'm sorry._  
She closed her eyes and leaned against the door. What was that supposed to mean? And more importantly, where did she stand now? Were they friends? Acquaintances? Was it that simple?  
Her eyes fluttered open and she took a step forward towards her station. Zipping up her jacket, she sat down and waited for Isabelle to come in. She would probably invite Clary over to celebrate, which would mean that she would see...him.  
She groaned and put her head in her arms. Why was this so hard? She was so confused. Was she ready for a relationship? Her parents certainly didn't think so. She would probably have to keep the whole thing a secret. Would Jace even be worth it? From what Isabelle had told her, he had a new girlfriend every week. How could she trust that she wouldn't just be his newest item of interest?

A sudden memory came flooding back to her. Clary's father, Luke, had taken Isabelle and her out for ice cream after dance class one night. Isabelle had been jabbering on about her newest boyfriend, but when she noticed Clary's face, she had stopped.  
_"I'm sorry, Clary," she said, knowing exactly why Clary was so quiet.  
"It's alright. It's not your fault. And they're right; I can't afford to be distracted. Not if I want to have a career in dancing." Clary shivered slightly as a cool breeze danced across her skin.  
Isabelle sighed and brushed her long hair out of her face. "Yeah, but it's not fair. One day, you're going to fall in love, and you can't even make your relationship public, you know? You're going to have to sneak around behind everyone's backs just to see each other. You can't control love. And as much you will eventually try to quench your feelings and convince yourself that dance is all that you live for, love will keep coming back. Love is constant. It never leaves you."  
"That was deep, Izzy." Clary tried to suppress a laugh, eating a scoop of her ice cream.  
Isabelle huffed dramatically, but a smile ghosted her lips. "I was being serious, Clary. You may not think anything of it now, but one day you will."_  
Clary had laughed at that.  
Now, here she was, Isabelle's words coming back to haunt her. _You can't control love_. Surely she didn't _love_ Jace. Love was too much of an extreme right now. You couldn't love someone until you got to know them, right?  
_You can't control love_. Those for words kept replaying and rewinding in her head. _Love, love, love. Can't control. Can't control-  
Stop it!_ She thought. The door swung open and Clary looked up, anticipating Isabelle. But instead, it was Aline. She strode towards her mirror with an air of pride. Clary held back a snicker.  
Aline glanced in her direction for a second. "Oh, it's you," she scoffed.  
"Happy to see me?" Clary simpered coolly.  
Aline glared. "Enjoying your victory?"  
"Not so much as you, I believe," Clary shrugged. "But you know what Miss Morgenstern always says. 'Second is the first to lose.'"  
Aline's eyes narrowed and she spun on her heel. "Watch it, Clarissa, or you might just find yourself in the hospital with a broken ankle. That would certainly put you off the NYCB wait list."  
"Aline," Clary feigned hurt, "Is that a threat?"  
"No, it's a promise." And with that, she stalked out of the room.

Clary sighed and turned back to grab her things from her station. Heaving her duffel bag over her shoulder, she pushed open the heavy door only to run smack into someone. She stumbled backwards and looked up.  
"Jace?"  
"Clary," his face lit up when he saw her. "I was looking for you."  
"Well, here I am," Clary said, and immediately felt stupid. Couldn't she have thought of something more creative?  
If Jace noticed her unoriginality, he didn't show it. "Look, I was a total jerk. I'm sorry. I know-" he paused, and took a deep breath. "I think I know why you picked that song to dance to, and I think it's only fair if I apologize too."  
Clary managed a small smile. "Apology accepted."  
Jace's eyes gleamed. "Then I was hoping things could go back to normal..." he drifted off.  
There was silence for a moment. "What exactly is normal?" Clary whispered.  
Jace grinned. "This," he said, closing the distance between the distance between them without any hesitation this time.  
His lips met hers, and she involuntarily gasped. Is this what it felt like to be kissed? She hesitated, not sure what to do. When Jace's hand came up to wind itself in her hair, deepening the kiss, she pulled away suddenly, as if woken up from a trance.  
She looked down at her shoes, embarrassed. This had gone to far. She had to stop it now while she still could. "I'm sorry, Jace, I don't-"  
"Shhh," he held a finger to her lips. "I've heard all of your excuses already," he whispered, grinning. "But tell me something," he said.  
"What?"  
"How was that for a first kiss?"  
Clary smiled. "Perfect, if I do say so myself."  
And there, standing in the doorway, she realized something.  
Isabelle was right. She had been all along. There was no escaping this. She couldn't fight it. Her heart both soared and plunged all in the same moment.  
What had she gotten herself into?

**Did anyone pick up my ****_Dance Moms_**** reference? :DDD LOL**

**And just cause they kissed doesn't mean they are like, OFFICIAL. Things are gonna get complicated :D**

**I promise I'll try to update more now...**

**REVIEW! Thank you to all that already have. YOU'RE THE BEST!**


	6. Treacherous

**Sorry for the wait, guys. I had a bad case of writer's block. But never fear, here's Chapter 6!**

**Chapter Playlist:**

**Treacherous- Taylor Swift**

"Clary, dinner's ready!" her father's voice drifted up to her room. Clary shut her laptop and made her way down the stairs, not wanting to face her parents. The weight of everything- dancing, NYCB, and well, Jace- had been crushing her and she was sure that if her parents stared long and hard enough, they would be able to see right through her.  
She was happy that Jace had kissed her, happy that she had been kissed for the first time- but with the happiness came this overwhelming sense of dread. She dreaded the change that she knew was coming. In a way, it had already come. And she wasn't in any way ready to face it.  
"Clary?" her father's sharp voice snapped her out of her thoughts.  
"What?" she looked at him, stunned.  
"Are you alright? You seem a little, I don't know, out of it."  
The sense of dread only intensified. Her parents could tell something was wrong. She plastered a smile on to reassure her father.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just fine," she tried for confidence, but her voice came out high and scratchy.  
Her father looked suspicious, but didn't press her.  
She shuffled to the dining room and took a seat. Her mother came in with the roast chicken, in celebration of Clary's victory. Roast chicken had always been Clary's favorite, but tonight it sounded sickening.  
They said grace and for a few minutes, all Clary could hear was the deafening noise of silverware scraping against her mother's best china plates. She felt nauseous, but she tried to swallow little bits of chicken as best as she could so her parents wouldn't ask questions.  
She felt something vibrate against the seat. Her mother's head flew up. "Clarissa, you know the rule," she scolded. "No cell phones at the table."  
Clary looked down. "Sorry mom, I forgot I had it with me. I'll turn it off." She fished it out of her pocket and nearly dropped it. Jace. Again.  
"Clary? What is it sweetheart? What's wrong?" her mother looked at her with concern. Clary glanced at her mother. "Nothing," she dismissed. She lowered her phone and pretended to put it back in her pocket, but she held it under the table and opened Jace's message.  
_Meet me at the end of your street at 10:00. I'll pick you up._  
She quickly and discreetly tapped out: _I can't. Too risky._  
She turned her phone on silent and rested it on her knee. Picking up her fork, she began eating again.  
She checked her phone a few minutes later.  
_Come on. Are you scared?_  
Clary acted casual, and shoveled in a few more spoonfuls of mashed potatoes.  
"May I be excused to go to the bathroom?" Clary hoped she sounded convincing.  
Her father glanced up at her. "Sure, sweetie."  
Clary gave a small smile as slipped her phone up her sleeve. She hurriedly exited the room for fear of getting caught.  
She made a mad dash for her bathroom and locked the door behind her. Sagging against the door, she replied: _No, but __**you**__ should be. Once my parents find out you've been abducting their daughter in he middle of the night, you'll be dead within a minute._  
Jace responded almost instantaneously. _Very funny, Red. See you at 10:00._  
She huffed. Jace didn't take no for an answer. Well, she would show him then. He would have to wait for her all night if he wanted to see her.  
She turned her phone off for good and marched back out to the dining room.  
Clary gave a tight-lipped smile to her parents before taking her seat at the table again. They continued to eat in silence.  
When they were all finished, Clary's mother reminded her that it was her turn to do the dishes. She protested that it was her victory they were celebrating, but her mother insisted.  
It was 8:00 by the time Clary finished the dishes. If she "went to bed" early, then her parents wouldn't check up on her. Yes, her mother would actually come in and make sure she was asleep. Most of the time she was and her mom just ended up waking her, but once her mom had walked in on her texting Isabelle. Clary had been grounded for a week.  
She said goodnight and then proceeded to lay in her bed for forty-five minutes, staring at the ceiling. Seeing as it was only 8:50, she knew she had to find something else to do. She grabbed her phone and checked her Facebook. 9:00. She checked her twitter. 9:15. She played Temple Run on her phone. 9:35.

Clary silently got up from her bed and snuck to her walk-in closet, closing the door with a soft click. Blindly, she reached towards the wall to find the light switch, but froze halfway. Why was she doing this? Nothing good could come from this midnight meeting. She would probably get caught, and then her parents would be furious. Grounded for a month, at least. And part of her didn't want to give Jace the satisfaction.  
But yet Clary decided that she wanted this. She had never had this, and mostly she was curious. That was why she flicked on her light and went to go find something to wear.  
After quickly slipping on a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt, Clary attempted to open her window and climb out from the second floor. Fortunately, to her advantage, her mother's trellis was directly below her. Using the latticework as a ladder, she carefully climbed down to safety below.  
A few feet off the ground, she felt something fall out of her back pocket. Looking down, she realized it was her phone. Clary mentally cursed herself for being so careless. It had fallen smack in the middle of her mother's azalea bush. Promising to pick it up on her way back, she plopped herself to the ground and took off running down the street.  
Clary slowed when she saw two bright headlights shining brightly at the end of her street. Her heart sped up as she approached. Jace leaned casually against the hood of the car, doing something on his phone. He looked up as she walked towards him, and grinned, pushing himself off the car to meet her.  
"You came," he said.  
Clary rolled her eyes. "Oh ye of little faith."  
"Well, you said it was 'too risky' to meet me here, so I didn't know what to expect."  
Clary sighed. "Well I'm here. Now why in God's name did you make me come down here at this hour?"  
Jace smiled and nodded towards the car. "Get in."  
"That doesn't sound too inviting. You know what they say, 'stranger danger.'"  
Jace chucked. "Yeah, except for the fact that I'm not a stranger." He took her hand in his and led her to the car. "C'mon, I have something to show you."  
0-0-0-0-0-0  
"Jace, what are you doing? Where are we going?" Clary tried to force the panic out of her voice.  
Jace grinned. "Taking you somewhere."  
Clary's eyes widened. "I can see that. But why are we crossing the Brooklyn Bridge?"  
"We're not crossing it."  
"Then what-"  
Jace cut her off. "Shhh, we'll be there in about two minutes."  
They merged onto the bridge and Clary looked around, completely confused as to what Jace was doing.  
Jace kept driving until they reached approximately the middle of the bridge. He pulled over to the side, signaling with his turn signal, while many New Yorkers honked at him. He put the car in park and sat back in his seat.  
"Jace! What are you doing?" Clary screeched. "This is completely illegal! We're going to get caught!"  
Jace just laughed and opened the door as the traffic rushed past. He climbed out of the car and opened the passenger door for her. "Jace," she warned, hesitating. "I don't know…."

"Come on, Clary. Look at the view."

She hesitated for another moment before taking Jace's outstretched hand, hoisting herself up from her seat. Stepping out into the night air, she looked around her, taking in the sights and sounds of New York City at night. Bright lights from tall buildings reflected off of the rippling water of the East River.

"It's beautiful," Clary breathed, turning to Jace. "How did you know to come here?"

Jace smiled. "That's a secret. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

"We wouldn't want that now, would we?"

"I know I wouldn't," Jace said, stepping closer to her.

Clary smiled, but said nothing. She leaned closer, and closer, and closer until her lips met his. Jace reached up and wound his fingers in her wild red curls, while she fingered his golden curls. They broke apart from the kiss, breathless.

"I guess it was worth me coming out here," Clary whispered.

Jace smirked. "You bet it was."

**So...Clary's become a rebel...sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet Jace... :D**

**PLEASE let me know what you think! I feel like this chapter wasn't that good...sorry to dissapoint... :P**


	7. Just This Once

**Sorry for the wait...AGAIN. And for the semi-short filler chapter. D:**

**No chapter playlist...sorry. :(**

Clary groaned as her alarm blared in her left ear. Sluggishly, she rolled over and blindly swatted her clock trying to shut it off, but eventually settled on opening her eyes and getting up. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she trudged downstairs. She had barely gotten any sleep last night. Jace hadn't dropped her off until almost 2:00 in the morning.

Shuffling into the kitchen, she looked up to see her mother cooking bacon on the stove.

"Good morning, Clary. Did you sleep well?" Her mother said. It was almost as if she knew Clary had gone out last night. _But she doesn't know,_ Clary thought. _Stop worrying so much._

"Yeah," Clary replied.

"Hm," Jocelyn said suspiciously. "Then why is it that you look so tired?"

Clary's heart sped up. "Umm, I don't know. Do I really look tired?" She feigned innocence.

"Clary, don't play dumb. Now I'd like you to explain why I found _this _in my azalea's this morning," She held up Clary's phone.

She froze. Her heart stopped. She closed her eyes and bit her lip. _You should have remembered to get it last night! _She cursed herself for being so careless. Jocelyn always went out to weed every morning. Of course she would find her phone.

"Uhh….I-I…I don't know….It must have fallen," She said lamely.

"Really," Jocelyn said, her voice sugary-sweet. "It fell. And how exactly did it fall?"

Clary knew there was no getting out of this one. "Um, it fell out of my pocket."

"And what exactly were you doing in my garden last night?"

"Meeting someone," she said quietly.

"And I'm assuming this someone is a _boy?_"

"Yes," she replied, her voice sounding very small.

Jocelyn was silent for a long time. Clary hated when she was like this. Scary-calm. Extremely mad, but somehow not losing her temper.

"Clarissa Adele Fray," she fumed. "I am extremely disappointed in you. Running off in the middle of the night-"

"YOU CAN'T PROTECT ME FROM EVERYTHING!" Clary screamed, suddenly losing it, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You want me to be this _perfect_ little daughter, who follows your every command. Well I'm done. I'm done being your servant." Clary regretted the words the minute she said them.

She saw the hurt register in Jocelyn's eyes. "Clary-"

Clary's body shook with sobs and slid to the floor, curling into a ball. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"I'm sorry Clary, but you _know_ the rules in this house. No dating, it distracts you from dance. You are grounded for this week. You'll go to dance, but that's it."

"Mom-"

"Clary, I don't want to hear it. And I don't want you seeing this boy again, whoever it is."

Clary looked up. "It's not fair. I'm seventeen years old! It's not like I'm a child anymore!"

"Clary, the matter is settled. Now, I believe you have dance class in an hour. You'd better get ready."

Now suddenly angry, she pushed herself off the floor, storming to her room.

Life wasn't fair.

xxxxxx

"So, I heard about you and Jace."

Clary whirled around to face Aline, looking smug.

She narrowed her eyes. "Where did you hear that?"

Aline sniffed. "I have my connections."

Clary rolled her eyes and kept walking. "Well, wherever you heard it, it's not true." _Better to squash any rumors now, before they get out of hand._

"Deny it all you want. But I guess it doesn't really matter. He'll get bored with you soon enough."

Clary tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest. Was she just another girl to him?

"Whatever. I have to go."

Aline raised an eyebrow. "Alright then. See ya."

Clary strode out the double doors and scanned the street for her mother's car, and was started when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. She twisted and tried to break free from her attacker's grasp.

"Calm down, Red, it's just me."

She turned to face Jace. "God, you gave me a heart attack."

"I can see that," Jace chuckled. "So, wanna get a bite to eat?"

"Um, no. I'm grounded, no thanks to you. I'd prefer not to be on house arrest longer than necessary."

He laughed loudly. "You're grounded?"

Clary glared.

He saw her look and stopped laughing. "Sorry, sorry, not funny." He cleared his throat, but a hint of a smile still ghosted his lips.

"Jace, let me go. My mom is going to be here any second-"

As if on cue, her mother's car rolled up to the curb, and Clary scrambled out of Jace's arms. But based on the frown on her face through the window, she could tell she had already seen enough. Clary's heart sank.

The window rolled down painfully slow. "Would you care to introduce me to your_ friend_ here, Clary?"

Clary cringed. "Uh, this is Jace." She cleared her throat. "Lightwood."

Jocelyn's eyebrows shot up. "I knew you looked familiar. Nice to meet you, Jace."

Jace stepped forward and inclined his head. "Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Fray."

Jocelyn turned to face Clary, with a wicked grin on her face. "Well Clary, why don't we have Jace over for dinner tonight? I'll call Mrs. Lightwood and see if that's alright. How does that sound?"

Clary's eyes widened. By "calling Mrs. Lightwood" she knew her mother meant hanging on the phone for three hours gossiping about their children. "But Mom," she protested, "I'm grounded, remember?"

"Oh I remember," Jocelyn said, her smile sickeningly sweet. "But I think I can make an exception. Just this once."

**So sorry again for the wait...I'VE BEEN SO BUSY! I still am, but I managed to write this when I had spare time...**

**Also, I started referring to Clary's mom as Jocelyn just cause its easier XD **

**AND LASTLY...**

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS/FOLLOWS/FAVORITES!**

**YOU ARE SOOOOO AWESOME!**

**oh, and if you are a TID person like I am (18 MORE DAYS TIL CP2), go read chapter one of Clockwork Princess RIGHT NOW! ITS AMAZING!**

**Review...again...please? *puppy dog eyes***

**Thanks!**


	8. Rules

**Okay a couple things:**

**- I'm sorry AGAIN for not updating consistently. I'm so busy. That's my excuse.**

**-This is ANOTHER filler chapter. That's WAY too short. Its definitely not my best work, but I wanted to update. And I really want to continue this, and I have a general idea of where I this is going, but if anyone has any suggestions for me, that would be great!**

**- OH MY GOD HAS ANYONE ELSE READ CLOCKWORK PRINCESS... THE EPILOGUE...*stabs self in the heart***

**-THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS! You are all wonderful!**

"So Jace," Jocelyn started, spooning some beans onto her plate. "Tell me how you and Clary met, since she hasn't seemed to have told me anything."

Clary flushed in embarrassment. This whole situation was beyond embarrassing. Unsurprisingly, it didn't seem to bother Jace at all. He merely smiled politely and replied, "Well, I guess you could say we _saw_ each other at Clary's audition the other week. I was in the audience, watching Isabelle. But we first _talked_ when you came for dinner after the show."

"I see," said Jocelyn with raised eyebrows. Clary hid her face and swirled her mashed potatoes around her plate.

"Then how long have you two been," her father motioned with his fork between the two of them," you know, an item?"

"Dad!" Clary exclaimed, completely mortified.

"Oh, not long," Jace replied breezily. "Just a few days. Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Fray, we haven't done anything. _Yet_," he added with a wink in Clary's direction.

"I'm full," Clary said suddenly, dropping her fork and scooting her chair out. "May I go?"

"Of course not, Clary! We have a guest," Jocelyn replied. "Plus you haven't finished your beans. Eat a couple more spoonfuls."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Am I suddenly three years old again?" She muttered, and saw Jace chuckle out of the corner of her eye.

The rest of dinner went on like that, Jocelyn making small talk with Jace, and Clary being completely embarrassed.

After dinner, her mom pulled Clary aside. "Can I speak to you for a minute, Clary?"

They went into the hallway near the dining room. "Clary," Jocelyn sighed. "I just wanted to say that I'm alright with you and Jace. But seeing as you've never dated before, we need to lay down some rules."

"Oh God, Mom, _not_ the talk-"

"Clary, I'm not going to go there yet. I don't know how serious you and Jace are, but," she closed her eyes. "I'll try to trust you enough to make good decisions."

"Then what is this about?"

"I just want to set a few things straight. Maryse and I talked on the phone just now. First thing's first: if you have a sleepover with Isabelle, you are _not_ to go waltzing off to Jace's room in the middle if the night. Secondly, you may go on dates with Jace, but your curfew is 10:00. I don't want you pulling another stunt like last night."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Okay, is that it?"

"One more thing," she said. "No...overboard kissing in or in front of the dance school. You have an image to maintain, and we wouldn't want one of your teachers to walk out and-"

"OKAY, alright Mom," Clary exclaimed, her eyes wide. "I get it. No making out with Jace in the parking lot. Anything else?"

"Yes," Jocelyn said. " You're still grounded."

Clary groaned.

O.O.O.O.O

"So when wherever you going to tell me you were dating my brother?"

Clary, about to walk out of dance class, whirled around to face Isabelle, staring daggers at her.

"I-"

"Don't even start with excuses. You've had plenty of opportunities."

"Isabelle-"

"I just thought I had made a friend that for once wasn't interested in getting with my brother. I mean, I told you he was a player, but I guess that wasn't enough. You just _had_ to go and-"

"ISABELLE!" Clary screeched, suddenly angry. "Would you just listen to me for _two seconds?!_"

Izzy lowered her gaze and stepped back. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Clary took a deep breath. "I'm not using this as an excuse, but it has honestly been Jace who was pursuing me. He tried to kiss me earlier, and I rejected him. It's only been a few days that we've been together. I promise I won't get too attached."

Isabelle sighed. "Good, because if you do, he'll break your heart. I can't tell you how many of my friends he's dated and then broken up with. And then they blame me for having a player as a brother."

"I wouldn't ever blame you, Izzy."

Izzy looked solemn. "That's what they all say."

**REVIEW!**


	9. Midnight Escapades

**So as a thank you to all you lovely readers (because I now have 100 FOLLOWERS) here is another chapter! I got this idea from tealshoelaces, who suggested this to me in their review. THANK YOU FOR THE SUGGESTION! :D**

_Tap, tap, tap._  
Clary rolled over in her bed and buried her face in her pillow. "Go away," she mumbled groggily.  
_Tap, tap, tap._  
She groaned and covered her ears. "I said go away!" She said with more conviction.  
_Tap, tap, tap._  
"Oh for the love of God," she murmured, whipping back her covers and stepping out of bed. It was then that Clary saw something move in the corner of her eye.  
She whirled around to face her window.  
_Tap._  
A rock hit the cold glass.  
She took a step closer an looked down.  
"You've _got_ to be kidding me," she groaned, pulling open her window.  
Jace was standing in her yard, dressed in dark jeans and a gray sweatshirt. The moonlight illuminated his face, casting shadows across his cheekbones. He stood with a casual demeanor, hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.  
"Jace!" Clary hissed. "What in God's name are you doing? Do you _want_ to be killed by my mother?"  
He grinned wider and shrugged. "Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."  
Clary glared.  
"Okay, okay, Red, calm down," he said, raising his hands in defeat. "I came to take you away."  
"These midnight escapades have really got to stop or I'll be grounded till I'm forty."  
"Nonsense. Your parents won't suspect a thing."  
"Are you trying to be funny? Because I'm not amused. And I'm not going down there, as much as I like spending my nights with you."  
Jace feigned hurt. "How you wound me, Clarissa Fray. Now seriously, get down here right now or I'll scream and wake the whole neighborhood up."  
"I don't care."  
"I think you've forgotten that 'the whole neighborhood' includes your parents."  
Clary rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. I'm coming. Let me change."  
.0.0  
"You know, you really could have thought of a better way to wake me up. The whole 'throwing rocks' thing was a little cliché," Clary pointed out as she slammed the passenger door of Jace's car.  
"Nonsense. It got you up, and that's all that mattered."  
Clary smiled. "How many times have you kidnapped me in the past 3 weeks? Hmmm, lets see, once when we went to dinner, once last night, and now tonight..." She trailed off, grinning at Jace.  
He smirked back. "What can I say, I can't stay away from you, and somehow you always manage to escape. I have no choice but to return."  
"Mmmhhmmm. Right," she said, rolling her eyes.  
They were silent for a while, Jace staring at the street, Clary looking out the window.  
"Jace?" She finally spoke up.  
"Yeah?"  
She bit her lower lip and sighed. "This is going to sound really stupid, but," she paused, looking for the right words. "are you...playing me? I mean, like, am I just another girl to you or am I- never mind, don't answer that. I mean, I'm fine if I _am_ just another girl, but I was just wondering so that I-"  
"Clary," she heard her name as if from a distance and realized she had been rambling. Averting her eyes from Jace, she muttered an apology and shrunk down in her seat.  
"I can't even believe," he took a breath, running a hand through his ruffled hair. "I can't believe that you'd think that. You are_ so_ special, Clary. And I know this is your first time with the whole dating thing. I'm not going to be the one to screw it up for you." He sighed again as his eyes flicked from her to the road. "Clary, look at me. Please."  
Slowly, she met his gaze.  
"I don't want you ever thinking that your not special to me. Ever. Okay?"  
She nodded.  
"And I know that Isabelle has told you _lots_ about me, and I can't deny it, because its true, but I'm asking you to believe that your different. You're not one of those girls."  
"Alright." She quietly acquiesced.  
.0.0  
"Here we are," Jace said, as he drew the blindfold off of Clary's face.  
She took in her surroundings. They were in Central Park, in the middle of a big lawn.  
The skyscrapers were illuminated starkly against the black night sky. The sound of rushing car against pavement faded into the background as she turned to face Jace.  
"Why do you always have to pick the perfect places to come at night?" She sat on the grass, and Jace soon followed suit.  
He just shrugged, smiling. "Come closer," he whispered, reaching for Clary in the dark.  
She scooted forward into Jace's arms and leaned her head against his broad shoulder. Holding her tighter, he buried his face in her hair. She looked up through the trees at the stars.  
"Tell me a story," she whispered, her eyes drooping.  
"Alright," he said. "Do you see that constellation up there? It's really faint. Light pollution."  
"I think so," she said.  
"That's Cassiopeia. She was a queen, wife of king Cephus and mother of Andromeda. She boasted that she was the most beautiful in the whole world, even above the gods. This angered Poseidon, who created the sea nymphs, creatures that were supposed to be the most beautiful beings ever.  
"He was so angry that he created a great sea monster named Cetus, who destroyed villages along the coast and killed sailors. The people begged Poseidon to make Cetus stop, but he said the only way was if Cassiopeia admitted that she was not the most beautiful in the world. But she would not, and so Poseidon said that the only other way was if Andromeda, Cassiopeia's only daughter, was sacrificed to Cetus.  
"The people captured Andromeda and chained her to a rock that projected out into the ocean to be sacrificed to the sea monster. But she was saved by the hero Perseus, and Cetus was turned to stone. The gods agreed to place Cassiopeia in the sky as a constellation, but as a punishment for being so conceited, she would have to be embarrassed by her upside-down position every year when she appeared."  
He was silent after that, indicating that his story finished. Clary opened her eyes.  
"That's an awful story."  
Jace looked taken aback. "How?"  
"They chained her daughter to a freaking rock to be sacrificed to a sea monster. And she didn't even do anything. It was her mother who should have been chained there."  
"But she was saved," Jace protested.  
"She shouldn't have had to be in the first place. It wasn't her fault."  
Jace chuckled. "I like the way you think."  
Clary smiled and closed her eyes again, shifting in Jace's arms. She would just relax for a few minutes...

"Clary, Clary, wake up, baby." She was shaken awake gently by Jace. Realizing she was still in the park, she bolted upright.  
"How long was I sleeping? What time is it?"  
Jace checked his watch. "Quarter after one."  
"You let me sleep for an hour and a half? In the middle of Central Park? There's muggers! Are you crazy?"  
Jace smirked. "Crazy for you."  
She glared. "Don't change the subject."  
He shrugged. "You seemed peaceful. I didn't want to wake you up. Plus, you get this really cute look on your face when-"  
"Shut up," she returned, blushing.  
"You're also_ adorably_ cute when you blush," he whispered, brushing his lips with hers. She returned the kiss, but pulled away after a few seconds.  
"I have to get home or my mom is going to murder me."  
Jace frowned. "What is it with your mom and violence?"  
Clary rolled her eyes and stood up. "Just get me home, and preferably quickly."  
"I thought you were having a good time."  
"I was. I still am," she added, "But unfortunately, I have this thing called curfew, and I've already broken it."  
Jace laughed, the sound sweet and low. "Alright. Come on, I parked this way."  
.0.0  
"...And then, I told her 'Second is the first to lose!' And she just glared at me," Clary laughed and Jace grinned.  
"You said that?" He pulled up slowly into her driveway.  
"Yeah, and then..." She trailed off as she looked up and saw a figure silhouetted in the doorway of her house, hands on their hips.  
Clary's heart stopped.  
Her mother.  
She was in **big** trouble now.

**So there ya go! I tried to write a little longer of a chapter after the short ones I've been giving you...**

**And I know there hasn't been much dance in the past few chapters, but I'm just trying to build Clary and Jace's relationship a little bit ;)**

**Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your support. I still can't believe I have 100 followers :D**

**REVIEW!**


	10. Consequences

**Thank you for all of your lovely reviews! Sorry for the long wait after that cliffhanger! Anyway, onwards!**

**Chapter Playlist:**

**Parachute-Ingrid Michaelson **

**All of Me-Michael Buble **

**All I Do Is Dream Of You-Michael Buble**

**Dance Terms:**

**Grand Plié (Grah-nd Plee-AY)- a bending of the knees over the toes.**

**Développé (Dah-vel-uh-PAY)- means to develop. A movement where one leg is slowly unfolded and extended into the air.**

**Arabesque (air-ah-besk)- the dancer leans foreward standing on one straight leg with the other one straight out.**

Jace followed Clary's line of vision and froze too. Clary closed her eyes slowly and exhaled shakily.  
"Oh God, Clary. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I didn't think-"  
"It's alright," Clary said, but her voice cracked and she bit her lip to stop the tears.  
Jace pulled the keys out and unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'll come in with you. It's not your fault."  
Clary just nodded and got out of the car. She climbed the porch steps slowly, not wanting to face her mother. Jace followed close behind her, one hand resting on flat of her back.  
Clary slowly looked up to meet the gaze of her mother, nothing but the screen door separating them.  
Jocelyn unlatched the screen door with a flick of her hand and it creaked open eerily. Clary stepped inside, still pulling Jace behind her.  
Luke was sitting on the living room couch already, and Jocelyn took a seat next to him. Clary and Jace sunk down into the opposite couch.  
"Clarissa Adele Fray," Jocelyn started, "I cannot even _believe_ your behavior right now." she ran a hand through her long auburn hair.  
Clary remained silent, biting her tongue to keep from crying. She would not cry.  
"I let you have a bit of freedom, and you go and abuse your privileges like they are nothing. Nothing. Both your father and I are extremely disappointed in you. I, personally, am more than disappointed in you. I am _furious_." her voice started to become shrill. "I mean, _how could you, Clary?_ Have you lost your mind? Do you really think sneaking out out of the house two nights in a row with a boy is going to earn my trust? And not to mention the fact of your safety. If you had gotten in a car accident, or gotten kidnapped, or-"  
"Mrs. Fray, sorry to interrupt, but I take full responsibility. It was completely my idea, both times, in fact, and I was the one who lost track of time," Jace explained.  
"But Clary is also a seventeen year old who is smart enough to make her own decisions."  
Clary sat up and blinked. "Can we please not talk about me like I'm not here?"  
Jocelyn turned her eyes to Clary and glared. "You would be wise to not show me attitude right now, young lady."  
Clary pursed her lips in annoyance but sank back against the couch once again.  
Jocelyn sighed. "I mean, honestly, I don't know what to say. We've been over this. And quite frankly, I'm appaled. It's just so unlike you. We raised you as a responsible, trustworthy young girl, and now, ever since you met him," she spat the word with malice and flicked her gaze to Jace, "you've turned into a rebellious little brat who doesn't appreciate anything we do for you."  
"Mom!" Clary shouted, suddenly defensive. "I'm not a rebellious brat!"  
"We'll one thing is for sure, you will not be seeing him again for a while," Jocelyn stated with a note of finality in her tone.  
There was a best of stunned silence before both Jace and Clary erupted at the same time.  
"MOM!"  
"Mrs. Fray, please..."  
"You can't do that!"  
"SILENCE!" Luke yelled. Clary and Jace both stopped abruptly. Clary had never seen Luke get angry like this before. He was usually extremely calm amd even-tempered. Luke exhaled. "I think that what's best for everyone right now is for Clary to get back on track with dance before she focuses on a relationship. After a few weeks, we'll re-evaluate the situation. Okay?"  
"But-"  
"No buts, Clary," Luke warned.  
"Now I think that it's time for you to go to bed and for Jace to go home. I'll call Maryse in the morning."  
Jace turned to Clary and clutched her face in his hands. "Bye, Clary," he whispered, and pressed his lips to hers in a delicate kiss. But Clary wound her fingers in his hair, pressing him to her, wanting more if this was the last time she would be able to see him in weeks. Jace responded, but soon after, they heard Jocelyn clear her throat. They pulled away slowly, their foreheads still touching.  
"I'm sorry for everything," Jace murmured to Clary. She could feel his warm minty breath tickle her cheeks.  
"It's alright," she breathed back.  
Jocelyn cleared her throat again, louder this time, and they both turned to look at her. She raised her eyebrows at them and Jace took that as his cue to leave.  
When he was gone, Jocelyn turned to Clary. "Your grounded for another two weeks, by the way."  
Clary groaned and stomped up the stairs to her bedroom.

.

.

.

.

"Now girls, come to the center. We're going to do Adagio." Many girls in the class groaned, and Clary knew why. Adagio was slow, which meant you had to be in control. This was hard for some, but not for Clary. She loved Adagio.

"Grand Plié, développé, and….arabesque…." Clary danced the steps she had known by heart for years. Dance was now serving as a fairly good distraction from Jace.

Jace. She tried to push the thought of him out of her mind, but only halfway succeeded. But maybe now that she wasn't spending time with him, she could prepare more for her upcoming competition this weekend.

The music faded out, and the girls finished the exercise. Mrs. Morgenstern walked to the front of the studio and clapped her hands together enthusiastically.

"Alright, now I know some of you are entered in a completion this week and you are focused on that, but I just wanted to remind you that our annual recital is coming up in a few we are running it differently this year. Each one of you is going to do a solo for every class you take. If you just take ballet, then you'll just do a ballet solo. If you take ballet, jazz, and tap, then you'll do a ballet, jazz and tap solo, and so on. You'll be responsible for picking your own songs and choreographing your own solos, so do a good job!" There were audible murmurs around the studio. "Okay, class dismissed. See you tomorrow!"  
Everyone filed out of the room and gathered their things. Clary took her ballet skirt off and slipped on a pair of gray sweatpants and a red sweatshirt.  
"See ya Clary! Have a nice day!" She whirled around to see Aline waving innocently at her by the doors.  
Clary narrowed her eyes. "Bye," she replied flatly. Why was Aline being nice to her all of the sudden? She dismissed the question easily, though and walked out to the curb. She found her mother idling by the sidewalk a short distance away. Through the window, Clary saw that she was animatedly talking on the phone. When she saw Clary approaching, she fished her keys out of her purse and started the car. Clary opened the door and set her bag by her feet just as her mother said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone.  
"Hi sweetie. How was dance?"  
"Fine," Clary replied shortly. "Who was that?"  
"Mrs. Lightwood."  
"Oh." Clary sank back in her seat and raised her eyebrows, casting a glance at her mother. She pursed her lips. "What did she have to say?"  
Jocelyn sighed and shrugged. "What would you like to hear?"  
"I think you know."  
"What, about Jace and you? She was mortified that her son was sneaking out with you and apologized profusely. She also agreed that it was a good idea for Jace and you to take a break for a couple weeks, then you can try dating again. Oh, and she invited us over for dinner tomorrow."  
Clary sat up straighter in her seat. "Really?"  
Jocelyn glanced at Clary and exhaled. "I know what your thinking. This isn't a time for you to go waltzing off with Jace. This is merely her apologizing."  
"But Jace will be there?"  
Jocelyn narrowed her eyes. "I think so, yes."  
Clary didn't say anything, just stared out the window.  
"I don't hate him, you know," Jocelyn blurted.  
Clary turned to her mother, her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"  
"Jace," she said. "I don't hate him."  
"I didn't accuse you of hating him," Clary said.  
"I know," Jocelyn said, clutching the steering wheel tighter. "I'm just saying, it seems like you think I hate him. I don't. I just don't trust him."  
"Okay." She wasn't quite sure what to say to that.  
"And, he has quite a reputation. I don't want to see you get hurt."  
"I don't think he's like that anymore," Clary said quietly.  
"But honey, you just never know." She reached out to stroke Clary's hair, one hand still on the steering wheel. "You never know."

**So there ya have it! Please tell me what you think, because I feel like my writing is getting worse...I don't know. Anyway, until next time! Review!**


	11. Two Truths and a Surprise

***emerges from coma* I LIVE! I'm SO sorry that it took nearly 4 months for me to update. I lost my muse with this story. BUT I DIDN'T ABANDON IT! Guys, I know I write short chapters, but I'M SO HAPPY THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER YET! It's not too long, don't get your hopes up. Sorry. Anyway, I digress.**

**No Dance Terms and No Chapter Playlist. I may add one to this chapter later.**

"Clary, are you almost ready?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute." Clary shouted back as hurried to finish the finishing touches on her makeup. She wanted everything to be perfect for a certain someone who would be at dinner tonight.

"Honey, we really need to get going. Traffic is bad; we're going to be late," Jocelyn called.

Clary huffed and put her mascara brush down.

"Alright, I'm coming," she huffed.

"Clary, what did I say about attitude?" Jocelyn yelled back.

Clary sighed checked herself over once more in the mirror. Her hair was half up half down, the way she knew Jace liked it. The emerald cardigan she was wearing over a cream lace tank top brought out the green of her eyes. Pair that with dark wash skinny jeans and flats and she was the epitome of pretty (or at least she thought).

Pleased with how she looked, she grabbed her purse and cell phone and went to meet her mother downstairs.

"There you are," Jocelyn smiled. "I was beginning to think you'd died up there."

Clary rolled her eyes, but as much as she was mad at her mom, she couldn't help a small smile.

"Luke!" Jocelyn called. "You ready yet?"

"Coming!" Luke appeared in the doorway, finishing the last button on his shirt.

The drive to the Lightwood's was silent. Clary was content sulking in the backseat, because she honestly didnt know how she would be able to stand seeing Jace but not being able to talk to him. _God,_ she thought. _Im turning into a lovesick puppy. Get over it Clary,_ she scolded herself.

As the car pulled up in the Lightwood's grand driveway, Clary shut her eyes. Why was her parents putting her through this torture? They knew Jace would be there; they had told her. And yet they acted like it wouldn't be a problem to not talk to him, look at him even.

She sighed and opened the door, stepping out into the brisk air. Wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm, she and her parents trudged to the front door, their shoes crunching on frost covered drive. Even though it was March, there was still a chill.

The door flew open before they even reached the steps.

"Clary!" Isabelle came barreling out wearing a tight dress that barely touched the halfway mark of her knees. Clary immediately felt underdressed.

"Oh my god, you look gorgeous!" Isabelle scanned her from head to toe.

"Thanks Iz, but you could have told me this would be more formal."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm the one overdressed, you're fine. Anyway, come in! Dinner's almost ready."

Clary glanced at her parents, who were beaming at her and Isabelle's exchange. She raised her eyebrows at them, but her mother just shooed her in.

She stepped into the house, eyes immediately scanning for any signs of Jace. _Snap out of it, Clary!_ She couldn't afford to have her mind in the gutter tonight. Forcing Jace out of her thoughts, she followed Isabelle into the living room. Of course it was pretty hard not to think about someone when they were suddenly sitting right in front of you.

Jace looked up the moment she walked in the room, his tawny eyes watching her intently. She met his smoldering gaze evenly.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Fray, how are you?" Jace stood up and made a move to shake their hands. Clary rolled her eyes at his attempts to win her parents over.

"We're fine, Jace, thank you for asking." Jocelyn smiled politely.

"Hey," Clary started, eying Isabelle, "Izzy and I are gonna head up to her room and catch up till dinner is ready. Is that okay?" She asked, half dragging Izzy out of the room, not waiting for an answer. She could still feel Jace's eyes on her as she left.

They didn't speak as they climbed the steps. Isabelle opened the door to her room, catching on that Clary needed to talk in private. She closed the door as Clary collapsed on her bed.

"Clary? What's up?" Noticing Clary now with her head in her hands, she moved to sit beside her on the bed. "Sweetie, whats wrong? Did Jace hurt you? I swear to God, if he did-"

"No," Clary sniffled. "Its not him. Its my parents." She dabbed the corner of her eyes, not wanting to cry. "They-they don't want us to date anymore. I'm grounded, and I can't see Jace for a couple weeks."

"Oh Clary," Isabelle crooned, her voice full of sympathy. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, I just-" She finally broke down sobbing. "I try not to think of him, but its like I'm obsessed, or, or, this lovesick teenager who can't handle separation, or…" She trailed off as another wave of sobs wracked her body.

A smile slowly spread over Isabelle's face. "Oh my God, Clary. I think you're in love with my brother. You're in love with my brother. Oh my God, this is so exciting! You guys are gonna get married and then you'll be my sister!" Izzy squealed.

Clary looked up at Isabelle, her face incredulous. "Oh my God, Izzy, calm down. First of all, I'm not in love. I've only known him for a month and a half. You can't love someone that quickly. Second of all, what makes you think Jace 'loves' me back?"

"Oh Clary, you're not the one who lives with him every day. Do you know how much he asks about you? 'Have you seen Clary today?' 'How is she?' 'Is she tired from dance?' 'Has she said anything about me?' Its so ridiculous its comical."

"Clary looked up at Isabelle through wet lashes. "Really?"

The minute Clary walked in the living room, Jace suspected there was something bothering her. When she practically dragged Isabelle upstairs, he knew there was definitely something wrong. He had excused himself from the living room a few minutes later, dashing up the stairs after the girls. He padded quietly down the hallway on the soft carpet to Isabelle's room. The door was, unfortunately, closed. He knew he should give the girl's their privacy, but his curiosity got the better of him. Slowly, he pressed his ear against the door.

Clary was speaking, but her voice came out cracked, like she was crying. "It's okay, I just-" She paused, and he could faintly hear her sobbing. "I try not to think of him, but its like I'm obsessed, or, or, this lovesick teenager who can't handle separation, or…"

Isabelle cut in. "Oh my God, Clary. I think you're in love with my brother. You're in love with my brother. Oh my God, this is so exciting! You guys are gonna get married and then you'll be my sister!" Izzy squealed.

Jace's eyes widened in shock. His heart started to pound furiously._ Was Clary in love with him?_

He heard Clary reply. "Oh my God, Izzy, calm down. First of all, I'm not in love. I've only known him for a month and a half. You can't love someone that quickly. Second of all, what makes you think Jace 'loves' me back?"

His heart sank and he leaned back against the wall. So she _wasn't_ in love with him. But he couldn't help but smile at the end of her sentence: "What makes you think Jace 'loves' me back?"

Jace wasn't exactly sure that what he was feeling was love, but one thing was for sure: he needed Clary in his life. The past few days that they had been separated had been awful. He, like Clary had just admitted too, couldn't stop thinking about her. To be honest, it scared him. He'd always wanted girls, but never like this.

He didn't catch the rest of their conversation, but he had heard enough. Clary was going through the same thing as him. He had to get her alone tonight, to talk to her. They needed to figure out a way to convince both their parents that they could be responsible with their relationship. Jace blamed himself for this separation; if he hadn't have taken her on all those midnight adventures, they wouldn't have had this issue. He reprimanded himself for being so stupid. Why did he think they wouldn't get caught eventually?

"Kids, dinner is ready!" Jace heard Mayrse call. He snapped back to reality and realized he was still leaning against the wall. Springing off the wall, he darted down the hallway. When the two girls emerged from Izzy's room, he acted as casual as possible.

He looked over and caught both their gazes. "Hey Iz," he smirked. " And Clary," he acknowledged as if he had just noticed her (which he obviously hadn't).

"Jace," she replied evenly, holding his gaze.

They descended the stairs together, but when they reached the dining room and Isabelle skipped in, he pulled Clary aside and into an adjoining hallway.

"We need to talk," he said.

She sighed, avoiding his gaze.

"We shouldn't-"

He put a finger to her lips. "I don't care anymore Clary. I need you in my life. I cant stop thinking about you."

Clary looked up at him and sucked in a breath.

"And I know you feel the same, because I heard your conversation with Izzy."

Her mouth fell open. "Jace! That was private!"

He rolled his eyes. "I know, I know, but I had to know what was wrong with you. Anyway, we need to figure out how to gain our parents trust again."

Clary glanced around nervously. "Can we not talk about this now?" she whispered.

"When else are we going to talk about this?" Jace raised his voice and threw his hands in the air. "We're forbidden from seeing each other. We can't text because you got your phone taken away. We're running out of options."

"We could go through Isabelle," Clary suggested.

"No, too slow. Who knows when you would see her next? We need to figure something out now. Think about it during dinner and we'll meet upstairs after."

"Jace, its too risky. What if-"

"Clary, we there's no other way-"

She sighed. "Fine. Now lets go before we get in trouble for being late to dinner. You go first so it looks like we weren't together."

Jace closed his eyes and before Clary could protest, gently leaned forward and pressed his lips to Clary's forehead. Then he disappeared around the corner.

Clary swallowed and tried to clear her head. This was going to be a long dinner.

"I saved you a seat next to me!" Isabelle said cheerily as Clary walked into the dining room. It was the only open seat left and coincidentally right next to Jace. Clary narrowed her eyes at Izzy, asking the silent question. Izzy just smirked and winked at Clary. Clary just shook her head and rolled her eyes, but internally she was thanking Izzy for thinking of her.

She took a seat just as Maryse appeared with a steaming pot in her hands.

"Alright, I think everything's ready."

Dinner progressed uneventfully. Clary tried to brainstorm ways she could persuade her parents to trust her again. There wasn't many options. She could try talking to her mom again, but that most likely wouldn't go anywhere. She could wait out the weeks that she was grounded and follow the rules. She could talk to her dad.

_Luke._ He would understand her situation more than her mother. Maybe he would even sympathize with her and persuade Jocelyn that Clary could be trusted again. So far, this was the only option that seemed plausible.

Clary was startled out of her thoughts when she felt something on her knee. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was a hand, rubbing small circles on her skin. Startled, she looked up at Jace. His expression didn't change, but he gave her knee a squeeze. She felt the blush creep up her cheeks before she could stop it.

She reached under the table and slowly removed his hand, placing it back on his own leg. She didn't need any more distractions right now. It was at that moment that a phone rang, startling her. She sat up straight in her chair and looked around. Her mother was digging in her purse for her cell phone.

"Excuse me, Maryse, I'm so sorry, but I have to take this phone call." She flashed everyone a quick smile before exiting the room, her heels clacking on the polished hardwood floor.

Everyone continued eating, but it was an awkward silence. Clary glanced around nervously. What could have made her mother get up from dinner like that? She pushed her potatoes around her plate absently.

Suddenly Jocelyn came dashing through the doorway, face aglow. "Clary!" She squealed. "That was NYCB. Someone dropped out. You got the contract!"

Clary's heart dropped to her stomach.

**:D Sorry for the cliffy! Um yeah so...**

**I'd like to introduce you to my new beta, SpeakNow1118! She is absolutely fantabulous and gorgeous and amazing and [insert any positive adjective you can think of here]. S oyeah, if you haven't already, go read her story Brooklyn By The Water At Night! (Its a Clace fic...you all will love it...)**

**So...review? ;D**


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